Silverstein, Alvin (1998) Weather And Climate (Science Concepts); page 17. (0) An arm of the western Atlantic Ocean bounded by the coasts of Central and South America and the West Indies. Continued destruction of the reefs could severely damage the region's economy. In the early Paleogene due to Marine regression the Caribbean became separated from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean by the land of Cuba and Haiti. The climate of the Caribbean is driven by the low latitude and tropical ocean currents that run through it. [18], In connection with the foregoing, the Institute of Marine Sciences and Limnology of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, conducted a regional study, funded by the Department of Technical Cooperation of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in which specialists from 11 Latin American countries (Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Dominican Republic, Venezuela) plus Jamaica participated. In the Caribbean, 600 species of birds have been recorded, of which 163 are endemic such as todies, Fernandina's flicker and palmchat. The mahogany is the national tree of the Dominican Republic and Belize. Synonyms: Caribbean. After Christopher Columbus landed in the Bahamas in 1492, the Spanish term Antillas applied to the lands; stemming from this, "Sea of the Antilles" became a common alternative name for "Caribbean Sea" in various European languages. The larger islands in the northern part of the sea Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica and Puerto Rico lie on an older island arc. long., where it bends northwards to the Caribbean Sea. Analysis of toxic metals and hydrocarbons is based on the investigation of coastal sediments that have accumulated less than 50 meters deep during the last hundred and fifty years. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books, Inc. pp. On the western side of the sea the trade winds influence a northerly current which causes an upwelling and a rich fishery near Yucatán.[12]. 1. It represents the military power of the US. The emergence of these basins marked the beginning of the Atlantic Ocean and contributed to the destruction of Pangaea at the end of the late Jurassic. It runs 1,000 km (620 mi) along the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras.[3]. [1][2] The sea's deepest point is the Cayman Trough, between the Cayman Islands and Jamaica, at 7,686 m (25,217 ft) below sea level. meaning. The Caribbean sea floor is divided into five basins separated from each other by underwater ridges and mountain ranges. Atlantic deep water is thought to spill into the Caribbean and contribute to the general deep water of its sea. km (1049500 sq. The youngest stretches from the Lesser Antilles to the Virgin Islands to the north east of Trinidad and Tobago off the coast of Venezuela. Guide to the Oceans. He is walking literary across the sea while taking giant steps on water as it were a mere pool of water and pulling ships using a string like they were toys on the children’s playground. The entire area of the Caribbean Sea, the numerous islands of the West Indies, and adjacent coasts, are collectively known as the Caribbean. The Random House atlas of the oceans. Word Family. The tropical rainforest climates include lowland areas near the Caribbean Sea from Costa Rica north to Belize, as well as the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, while the more seasonal dry tropical savanna climates are found in Cuba, northern Venezuela, and southern Yucatán, Mexico. Its many islands and tropical climate make the Caribbean a major tourist area. The Caribbean Sea synonyms, The Caribbean Sea pronunciation, The Caribbean Sea translation, English dictionary definition of The Caribbean Sea. The region has several types of sea turtle (loggerhead, green turtle, hawksbill, leatherback turtle, Atlantic ridley and olive ridley). The Caribbean Sea is separated from the ocean by several island arcs of various ages. Caribbean means belonging or relating to the Caribbean Sea and its islands, or to its people. [26] The Golden coqui is in serious threat of extinction. Plunge has significant ecological consequences, Conservation International Caribbean Islands, An Overview of Land Based Sources of Marine Pollution, Reefs at Risk in the Caribbean: Economic Valuation Methodology, Guide to Marine Life: Caribbean-Bahamas-Florida, Defying Ocean's End: An Agenda For Action, Center For Advanced Study on Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, Sovereign states and dependent territories, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Caribbean_Sea&oldid=999745969, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Articles using infobox body of water without alt, Articles using infobox body of water without pushpin map alt, Articles using infobox body of water without alt bathymetry, Articles containing Spanish-language text, Articles containing Haitian Creole-language text, Articles containing Jamaican Patois-language text, Articles containing Papiamento-language text, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2015, All articles containing potentially dated statements, All articles with vague or ambiguous time, Vague or ambiguous time from November 2015, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from June 2017, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 11 January 2021, at 19:22. According to Birdlife International in 2006 in Cuba 29 species of bird are in danger of extinction and two species officially extinct. It forms part of the Great Mayan Reef also known as the MBRS and being over 1,000 km (600 mi) in length is the world's second longest. This list of Caribbean countries and dependent territories is sorted by the mid-year normalized demographic projections. The political cartoon shows a massively powerful figure. Scientific data reveals that over the last 500 years the area has seen a dozen earthquakes above 7.5 magnitude. (M) See more. Arid climates are found along the extreme southern coast of Venezuela out to the islands including Aruba and Curaçao, as well as the northern tip of Yucatán[21]. the Caribbean (Sea) translation in English - Spanish Reverso dictionary, see also 'Caribbean Community and Common Market',carbine',caries',cabbie', examples, definition, conjugation In shallow water flora and fauna is concentrated around coral reefs where there is little variation in water temperature, purity and salinity. Eakins, 2009. (relating to) the sea that is east of Central America and north of South America, or the islands in it and the countries that border this sea (Definition of Caribbean from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press) [11] The surface water (30 m; 100 feet) acts as an extension of the northern Atlantic as the Guiana Current and part of the North Equatorial Current enter the sea on the east. The habitats of almost all members of the toad family, poison dart frogs, tree frogs and leptodactylidae (a type of frog) are limited to only one island. He is seen walking in the Caribbean Sea as though it is a pool of water. • CARIBBEAN SEA (noun) The noun CARIBBEAN SEA has 1 sense: 1. an arm of the Atlantic Ocean between North and South America; the origin of the Gulf stream Familiarity information: CARIBBEAN SEA used as a noun is very rare. This arc was formed by the collision of the South American Plate with the Caribbean Plate and includes active and extinct volcanoes such as Mount Pelee, the Quill (volcano) on Sint Eustatius in the Caribbean Netherlands and Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books, Inc. p. 178. Halophila baillonii has been found only in the Lesser Antilles.[22]. Hi there! There are 340 caribbean sea-related words in total, with the top 5 most semantically related being caribbean, mexico, cuba, honduras and lesser antilles.You can get the definition(s) of a word in the list below by tapping the question-mark icon next to it. The emergence of deep basins in the Caribbean occurred during the Middle Jurassic rifting. How do you use Caribbean Sea in a sentence? ...the Caribbean island of St Thomas. The Caribbean monk seal which lived in the Caribbean is considered extinct. The result of the death and dispersal of these tiny plants is called coral bleaching, and can lead to the devastation of large areas of reef. See more. Caribbean Sea, suboceanic basin of the western Atlantic Ocean, lying between latitudes 9 and 22 degrees N and longitudes 89 and 60 degrees W. It is approximately 1,063,000 square miles (2,753,000 square km) in extent. The next stage of the Caribbean Sea's formation began in the Triassic. The rhinoceros iguana from the island of Hispaniola which is shared between Haiti and the Dominican Republic is also endangered. Caribbean Sea. The project results were presented in Vienna in the forum "Water Matters", and the 2011 General Conference of said multilateral organization.[19]. All Rights Reserved. Tropical cyclones are a threat to the nations that rim the Caribbean Sea. Guadeloupe: …/gwA:(r).d@.lu:p/ Proper noun Guadeloupe An island in the northeastern edge of the Caribbean Sea.An island group, including the island of Guadeloupe, constituting one… All 170 species of amphibians that live in the region are endemic. The Caribbean coastline has many gulfs and bays: the Gulf of Gonâve, Gulf of Venezuela, Gulf of Darién, Golfo de los Mosquitos, Gulf of Paria and Gulf of Honduras. Another type shoal grass (Halodule wrightii) grows on sand and mud surfaces at depths of up to 5 m (16 ft). Caribbean Sea definition: an almost landlocked sea, part of the Atlantic Ocean , bounded by the Caribbean islands ,... | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples There are 90 species of mammals in the Caribbean including sperm whales, humpback whales and dolphins. English Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia. Area: 2 718 200 sq km (1 049 500 sq miles) 3 noun caribbean sea part of the Atlantic, bounded by the West Indies, Central America, and the N coast of South America: 971,400 sq mi (2,515,916 sq km) 3 It's Possible", Status of coral reefs in the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean, Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife to the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (SPAW), Analysis of Contaminants in the Caribbean Sea over the last 150 years, "NASA – NASA Satellites Record a Month for the Hurricane History Books", "Caribbean Sea Turtles Close to Extinction", Historic Caribbean Sea Turtle Population falls 99%. Over 42% of corals are completely bleached and 95% are experiencing some type of whitening. There was a very serious eruption of Mount Pelée in 1902 which caused many casualties. (kærəbiːən , US kərɪbiən ) Word forms: plural Caribbeans. The Caribbean Sea is an oceanic sea largely situated on the Caribbean Plate. Rainfall varies with elevation, size and water currents (cool upwelling keep the ABC islands arid). It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, to the east by the Lesser Antilles, and to the south by South America. 177–178. It has been an important shipping route since the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914. The Caribbean Sea was a tropical sea in the Caribbean, part of the Atlantic Ocean southeast of the Gulf of Mexico. The Mona ground iguana which inhabits the island of Mona, Puerto Rico, is endangered. The Caribbean Sea has the world's second largest barrier reef, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. Entries with "Caribbean Sea" the: …(The Atlantic Ocean, The Pacific Ocean) All seas (The Red Sea, The Bering Sea, The Caribbean Sea), and straits (The Strait of Magellan, the Bering Strait, The Bosphorus)…. [24] Their populations have been greatly reduced since the 17th century – the number of green turtles has declined from 91 million to 300,000 and hawksbill turtles from 11 million to less than 30,000 by 2006.[25]. n an arm of the Atlantic Ocean between North and South America; the origin of the Gulf stream. [9] It is assumed the proto-caribbean basin existed in the Devonian period. As of 2015[update] the area is home to 22 island territories and borders 12 continental countries. Of the endemic species 48 are threatened with extinction including the Puerto Rican amazon, and the Zapata wren. In coastal zones there are coconut palms and in lagoons and estuaries are found thick areas of black mangrove and red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle). Global Land One-kilometer Base Elevation (GLOBE) v.1. In the early Jurassic due to powerful marine transgression, water broke into the present area of the Gulf of Mexico creating a vast shallow pool. The findings indicate that heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, and lead, have been identified in the coastal zone of the Caribbean Sea. Underwater earthquakes pose a threat of generating tsunamis which could have a devastating effect on the Caribbean islands. Area: 2718200 sq. Warm, moist trade winds blow consistently from the east, creating both rain forest and semi arid climates across the region. For example, guaiac wood (Guaiacum officinale), the flower of which is the national flower of Jamaica and the Bayahibe rose (Pereskia quisqueyana) which is the national flower of the Dominican Republic and the ceiba which is the national tree of both Puerto Rico and Guatemala. noun caribbean sea an almost landlocked sea, part of the Atlantic Ocean, bounded by the Caribbean islands, Central America, and the N coast of South America. On average around 9 tropical storms form each year, with 5 reaching hurricane strength. 90.000 Stichwörter und Wendungen sowie 120.000 Übersetzungen. At that time the Western Hemisphere in general was unknown to most Europeans, although it had been discovered between the years 800 and 1000 by the vikings. [27] The black-fronted piping guan is endangered. Representatives of three species belonging to the genus Halophila, (Halophila baillonii, Halophila engelmannii and Halophila decipiens) are found at depths of up to 30 m (98 ft) except for Halophila engelmani which does not grow below 5 m (16 ft) and is confined to the Bahamas, Florida, the Greater Antilles and the western part of the Caribbean. There are 500 species of reptiles (94% of which are endemic). Definition of Caribbean. It … The climate of the area is tropical, varying from tropical rainforest in some areas to tropical savanna in others. Caribbean Sea - Wörterbuch Englisch-Deutsch. Despite this, the Caribbean Sea is considered a relatively shallow sea in comparison to other bodies of water. This arc was formed by the collision of the South American Plate with the Caribbean Plate and includes active and extinct volcanoes such as Mount Pelee, the Quill (volcano) on Sint Eustatius in the Caribbean Netherlands and Morne Trois Pitons on Dominica. Marine biota in the region have representatives of both the Indian and Pacific oceans which were caught in the Caribbean before the emergence of the Isthmus of Panama four million years ago. (1991). Translations in context of "the caribbean sea" in English-Spanish from Reverso Context: It is located in the caribbean sea and has about 110000 inhabitants. [14] Historically the Caribbean is thought to contain 14% of the world's coral reefs. The Caribbean is home to about 9% of the world's coral reefs covering about 50,000 km2 (19,000 sq mi), most of which are located off the Caribbean Islands and the Central American coast. The Caribbean remained like this for most of the Cenozoic until the Holocene when rising water levels of the oceans restored communication with the Atlantic Ocean. In the early Carboniferous movement of Gondwana to the north and its convergence with the Euramerica basin decreased in size. It has been an important shipping route since the opening of the … The Caribbean Sea is one of the largest seas and has an area of about 2,754,000 km2 (1,063,000 sq mi). NOAA Technical Memorandum NESDIS NGDC-24. Atlantic Ocean water enters the Caribbean through the Anegada Passage lying between the Lesser Antilles and Virgin Islands and the Windward Passage located between Cuba and Haiti. The Caribs were the Haidas of the Caribbean Sea and northern South America. This trade attracted pirates. It runs along the Caribbean coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. The Caribbean Sea had been unknown to the populations of Eurasia until 1492, when Christopher Columbus sailed into Caribbean waters on a quest to find a sea route to Asia. Hastings, D. and P.K. National Geophysical Data Center, 1999. Guide to the Oceans. About 750,000 square miles (1,943,000 square kilometers); greatest known depth 22,788 feet (6,946 meters). The Caribbean hurricane season as a whole lasts from June through November, with the majority of hurricanes occurring during August and September. Over the open sea can be seen frigatebirds and tropicbirds. miles) Dictionnaire anglais Collins English definition-Thesaurus . During the Cretaceous the Caribbean acquired the shape close to that seen today. What are synonyms for Caribbean Sea? Deposits on the bottom of the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico have a thickness of about 1 km (0.62 mi). Some species are threatened with extinction. The sea is one of the largest oil production areas in the world, producing approximately 170 million tons[clarification needed] per year. Solenodons and hutias are mammals found only in the Caribbean; only one extant species is not endangered. Virtually all temperature extremes were associated with the phenomena of El Niño and La Niña. The youngest stretches from the Lesser Antilles to the Virgin Islands to the north east of Trinidad and Tobago off the coast of Venezuela. Coral reefs support some of the most diverse marine habitats in the world, but they are fragile ecosystems. Caribbean sea definition, a part of the Atlantic Ocean bounded by Central America, the West Indies, and South America. Pernetta, John. The surface water colour is blue-green to green. The deepest points of the sea lie in Cayman Trough with depths reaching approximately 7,686 m (25,220 ft). : of or relating to the Caribs, the eastern and southern West Indies, or the Caribbean Sea the Caribbean islands a Caribbean cruise. Islands are inhabited by some endemic species such as rock iguanas and American crocodile. Translations in context of "the Caribbean (Sea" in English-Spanish from Reverso Context: the caribbean sea Turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum) is common in the Caribbean as is manatee grass (Syringodium filiforme) which can grow together as well as in fields of single species at depths up to 20 m (66 ft). Caribbean definition, pertaining to the Caribs, the Lesser Antilles, or the Caribbean Sea and its islands. It is estimated that 13,000 species of plants grow in the Caribbean of which 6,500 are endemic. The caimito (Chrysophyllum cainito) grows throughout the Caribbean. [23] In the Caribbean Sea there are around 1,000 documented species of fish, including sharks (bull shark, tiger shark, silky shark and Caribbean reef shark), flying fish, giant oceanic manta ray, angel fish, spotfin butterflyfish, parrotfish, Atlantic Goliath grouper, tarpon and moray eels. An arm of the western Atlantic Ocean bounded by the coasts of Central and South America and the West Indies. While landfalls are infrequent, the resulting loss of life and property damage makes them significant hazard to life in the Caribbean. Some lists include Bermuda, which is located about 1,590 kilometres (990 mi) from any Caribbean island, Guyana and Belize. The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. p. 124. [13] Among them stands out the Belize Barrier Reef with an area of 963 km2 (372 sq mi) which was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996. Clay minerals likely having been deposited by the mainland river Orinoco and the Magdalena River. The entire area of the Caribbean Sea, the numerous islands of the West … Tropical cyclones that impact the Caribbean often develop off the West coast of Africa and make their way west across the Atlantic Ocean toward the Caribbean, while other storms develop in the Caribbean itself. According to the National Hurricane Center 385 hurricanes occurred in the Caribbean between 1494 and 1900. Upper sedimentary layers relate to the period from the Mesozoic to the Cenozoic (250 million years ago to present) and the lower layers from the Paleozoic to the Mesozoic. The Caribbean's depth in its wider basins and deep water temperatures are similar to those of the Atlantic. These plants provide food for the corals, and give them their color. The Caribbean is the sea which is between the West Indies, Central America, and the north coast of South America. Throughout the Caribbean there is industrial catching of lobster and sardines (off the coast of Yucatán Peninsula). Elder, Danny and Pernetta, John. The name "Caribbean" derives from the Caribs, one of the region's dominant Native American groups at the time of European contact during the late 15th century. An arm of the western Atlantic Ocean bounded by the coasts of Central and South America and the West Indies. Freebase (0.00 / 0 votes) Rate this definition: Caribbean Sea. The island of Jamaica is home to seals and manatees. Example of: sea. The Caribbean Sea is an oceanic sea largely situated on the Caribbean Plate. Dunbar. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol). caribbean sea definition in the English Cobuild dictionary for learners, caribbean sea meaning explained, see also 'carbine',caries',cabbie',cardigan', English vocabulary The region has a high level of biodiversity and many species are endemic to the Caribbean. [28] The area also generates a large fishing industry for the surrounding countries, accounting for 500,000 tonnes (490,000 long tons; 550,000 short tons) of fish a year. ETOPO1 1 Arc-Minute Global Relief Model: Procedures, Data Sources and Analysis. Following the discovery of the islands by Columbus, the area was quickly colonized by several Western cultures (initially Spain, then later England, the Dutch Republic, France, Courland and Denmark). New York : Random House. (m) means that a noun is masculine. [30], A sea of the Atlantic Ocean bounded by North, Central and South America. 21st Century. Caribbean Sea - WordReference English dictionary, questions, discussion and forums. a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and south west, to the north by the Greater Antilles starting with Cuba, to the east by the Lesser Antilles, and to the south by the north coast of South America. It is bordered by Venezuela, Colombia and Panama to the south, Central American countries (Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize) on the west; with the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico) on the north and the Lesser Antilles on the east. The Caribbean's floor is composed of sub-oceanic sediments of deep red clay in the deep basins and troughs. From the 16th century, Europeans visiting the Caribbean region identified the "South Sea" (the Pacific Ocean, to the south of the isthmus of Panama) as opposed to the "North Sea" (the Caribbean Sea, to the north of the same isthmus).[4]. Iturralde-Vinent, Manuel (2004), The first inhabitants of the Caribbean , Cuban Science Network . The Caribbean Sea is separated from the ocean by several island arcs of various ages. The hydrology of the sea has a high level of homogeneity. Amante, C. and B.W. The Caribbean sea floor is also home to two oceanic trenches: the Cayman Trench and Puerto Rico Trench, which put the area at a high risk of earthquakes. Annual variations in monthly average water temperatures at the surface do not exceed 3 °C (5.4 °F). Caribbean sea Definition from Encyclopedia Dictionaries & Glossaries. ‘He talked of the desire of the Caribbean countries to reduce their debt and get to a state where everyone has a job.’ ‘Scuba diving adds an excellent extra facet to the sun, sea and sand of a standard Caribbean visit.’ ‘In fact, Jamaica has a stronger romantic hold than almost any other Caribbean island.’ Wikipedia Dictionaries. Currently this protocol has been ratified by 15 countries. The geological age of the Caribbean Sea is estimated to be between 160 and 180 million years and was formed by a horizontal fracture that split the supercontinent called Pangea in the Mesozoic Era. What is the definition of Caribbean Sea? [28], The Caribbean region supports a large tourism industry. Caribbean Sea synonyms, Caribbean Sea pronunciation, Caribbean Sea translation, English dictionary definition of Caribbean Sea. the "Caribbean Sea" family. Following the discovery of America in 1492, the countries of Europe began colonizing the islands and starting a thriving trade. Learn more about the Caribbean Sea in this article. Leeward side of lagoons provide areas of growth for sea grasses. The principal ocean current is the North Equatorial Current, which enters the region from the tropical Atlantic. 1. proper noun. What is the meaning of Caribbean Sea? (2004). Define Caribbean Sea. Caribbean Sea (kuh-rih-bi-ihnsi) A proper noun refers to the name of a person, place, or thing. Pernetta, John. [15], The habitats supported by the reefs are critical to such tourist activities as fishing and diving, and provide an annual economic value to Caribbean nations of US$3.1–4.6 billion. Threat to the name of a person, place, or the is. ], the Caribbean occurred during the first century of development, Spanish dominance in northern... Temperatures at the surface do not exceed 3 °C ( 5.4 °F ) based upon scuba diving snorkeling. 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